NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 27: Latest investigations conducted by WildlifeProtection Society of India (WPSI), an Indian NGO, and the international Environment Investigative Agency (EIA) shows there hasbeen no decline in the tiger skin trade in the Tibet AutonomousRegion. The shocking revelation this time is that the precious skinsare now being used even for interior decoration in China and Tibet.

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The cross-border trade in tiger skins continues to flourish thoughboth India and China are signatories to the UN Convention onInternational Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and are supposed tohave specialised enforcement units.

In Lhasa, the undercover investigators were offered 11 tiger skins andeight leopard skins in July and August. "Till last year, there weremore Tibetans buying skins for decoration of traditional costumes, called Chupas. This year, however, the buyers are mainly Chinese,wealthy businessmen and government officials, if the traders are tobelieved," says EIA campaigner Nick Mole. He adds that while the use of tiger skins in costumes has come down because of the increasedawareness, the new customers are using them for interior decorationand gifts.

According to the agencies, the animal skins are now trafficked in small consignments across mountain passes and official bordercrossings through a chain of couriers. "Some even suggested concealingthem in passenger luggage, including sleeping bags," says Skinning the Cat: Crime and Politics of the Big Cat Skin Trade, a report releasedby the agencies. "The traders only told us that they have sourced theskins from India. They even had phone numbers of traders in India. The fold, tanning and the way of killing was identified as Indian by ourWPSI expert," says Mole.

"Despite promises by the Indian and Chinese governments, no effectiveaction has been taken to crack down on the hardcore criminals behind the skin trade...," says Belinda Wright, executive director of WPSI.